Worthy
by JupiterGodess
Summary: For the God Pharaoh, we give everything. Our blood. Our sweat. Our lives. Our souls. All hail the God Pharaoh.


**Worthy**

The two suns are burning down ever so hotly onto the city of Naktamun. Sweat runs down my skin in rivers. My breath, still labored, returns to normal only slowly. My muscles still ache faintly from the exertion.

But I don't care about any of that. At my feet lay my slain opponents; dissenters, who have dared to speak blasphemy against the gods and the God-Pharaoh himself. My ears are filled with the roaring cheer of the crowd, which is occupying the stadium to the very last seat; it's almost as if all of Naktamun had gathered here.

Finally. After ten long years, I've done it.

As I raise my kopesh high into the air, reveling in the crowd's adoration, I still can hardly believe it. After a long ten years of struggle, blood, sweat and tears, I have finally reached my goal. The weight of the now five cartouches around my neck is the final proof of that. Hadn't I been hardened by my training, I might have burst into tears of emotion right here and now. But that would only dampen the glory of this moment, and if there is one thing I would not want, I would be bursting into tears in front of the watching gods.

All five of them are here to witness this glorious moment. Cat-headed Oketra the True. Ibis-headed Kefnet the Mindful. Cobra-headed Rhonas the Indomitable. Crocodile-headed Bontu the Glorified. And jackal-headed Hazoret the Fervent.

Then again, it is no wonder that emotions are running high. Only the strongest and best achieve what I just have achieved. And by the mercy of the God-Pharaoh, I am now joining the ranks of those legendary warriors. My chest seems to burst with pride and joy as I watch Hazoret walking towards me across the red sand.

"_Well done, my child._"

The goddess's voice reverberates in my mind. Powerful. Strong. As befits a deity.

"_You have passed the Trial of Zeal. With this, you have passed all five trials successfully, and thus have proven yourself to be worthy._"

Worthy. The word echoes in my head. It is the culmination of everything a member of a crop is aspiring for. Only those who have proven themselves worthy will be granted blessed sleep, embalmed by none less than Bontu herself, until the God-Pharaoh returns, who will raise them so they may fight at his side. And only those who have passed all five trials will be granted that honor. The God-Pharaoh, who has created this world. The God-Pharaoh, who has in his wisdom and mercy created the five gods to watch over us humans, khenra, aven and naga. To fight at his side is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon anyone.

It's what I've trained for the past ten years. It's why I have meticulously honed my body and mind for such a long time, day after hard day. And today, my hard work is finally paying off. I will join the ranks for those glorious warriors who earned their place at the God-Pharaoh's side.

As Hazoret approaches me, the magnitude of the moment overwhelms me. I am overcome by humility and joy at the prospect of what awaits me. To be serving the God-Pharaoh himself once he returns… the moment cannot seem to come soon enough.

Hazoret towers above me. Lifts her two-pronged spear. My chest seems to burst with expectation. The occasion is so momentous that I cannot help to fall to my knees in front of the goddess. I close my eyes. A few moments later, I feel the pointy tips of the two prongs against my skin, one against my forehead, the other against my chest.

I am not afraid of what is to come. And why should I? After all, what awaits me is eternal glory at the side of the God-Pharaoh. I am about to join other legendary heroes resting in the necropolis.

"_Eternal praise to the God-Pharaoh_", Hazoret's voice echoes in my voice. "_May his return come quickly._"

"Eternal praise to the God-Pharaoh", I repeat. "And may we be found worthy."

And then the prongs pierce my flesh. A brief moment of excruciating pain. But then, I feel nothing anymore. A final smile curls my lips.

My God-Pharaoh… I am on my way…

Author's note: This story was a very spontaneous idea. It's the point of view of one of Amonkhet's inhabitants who managed to pass all five trials and be deemed worthy. What I want to get across with this how deeply rooted Nicol Bolas's corruption of the plane was. How blindly faithful he managed to get both gods and humans.


End file.
